Taxpayers pay almost $500,000 for office Joe Hockey used for less than three months

Taxpayers have paid almost $500,000 for an office former treasurer Joe Hockey used for less than three months.

The cost was among almost $3 million federal politicians spent on "office establishments, refurbishments and relocations" last year, according to the latest report on MPs' entitlements, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

When Mr Hockey was forced to move because his North Sydney electoral office had been condemned, $477,907 was spent fitting out a new location about 100m away in Elizabeth Plaza.

The cost included secure communications and security measures fit for the role of Treasurer.

But Mr Hockey was only in the new office for three months before Malcolm Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott as prime minister.

The coup saw Mr Hockey dumped as treasurer and he soon retired from Parliament to replace Kim Beazley as ambassador to the United States.

The new member for North Sydney Trent Zimmerman is now using the ministerial-sized office, despite being a backbencher.

Related Articles

Other costly renovations revealed in the Finance Department documents include $467,518.45 on a new office for Liberal MP Warren Entsch, $425,05012 on the office of Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan and $359,332.02 on a new office for the Coalition's NSW MP Ann Sudmalis.

Mr Entsch said he protested about the cost of his new office but had no choice but to accept what the Finance Department wanted.

"There were a lot of things that are required that I didn't want, but I was told I had no choice. I knew it would be expensive, I reckon I saved money by getting rid of their project management team from Brisbane and doing it local," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr Entsch has called for the rules governing MPs' offices to be changed so politicians have the freedom to at least use local suppliers and tradespeople.

A Finance Department spokesman would not comment on specific MPs' offices but said the departments "engages an external property and facilities provider".

"The Department of Finance through its property provider follows all relevant state and Commonwealth building and related regulations. The Department of Finance adheres to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules to ensure that value for money is achieved," the spokesman said.